HostNation UK Information

Befriend a refugee: hostnation.org.uk/befriend Donate: justgiving.com/hostnation We are a small charity with one simple mission: to welcome refugees and asylum seekers by finding them a local friend. We connect socially isolated refugees with volunteer befrienders. We operate in London, Greater Manchester and Tyne & Wear. Through careful matching with friendly residents, we aim to give refugees a positive experience of our cities, a pathway into our communities and a relaxed space for practising English. "It's a two-way thing and we are equals," as one befriender says. "We both get a lot out of it – we have a genuine friendship." At HostNation we offer residents a simple and informal way to reach out to a lonely refugee and introduce them to the city and its culture and to help them participate in local life. Our founder, Anneke Elwes, was experienced in befriending refugees and knew there were many altruistic people willing to step up. So HostNation was born, and we have fast become a wide family of flourishing social connections.